Upstream Color
You can force your story's shape, but the color will always bloom upstream.
2013 | 96m | English
Popularity: 3 (history)
| Director: | Shane Carruth |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Shane Carruth |
| Staring: |
| A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the lifecycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. | |
| Release Date: | Apr 05, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Shane Carruth |
| Writer: | Shane Carruth |
| Genres: | Science Fiction, Drama |
| Keywords | sadness, hypnosis, hope, loss, romance, drugged, parasite |
| Production Companies | erbp |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $444,098
Budget: $100,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 10, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Amy Seimetz | Kris |
| Shane Carruth | Jeff |
| Andrew Sensenig | The Sampler |
| Thiago Martins | Thief |
| Carolyn King | Wife |
| Mollie Milligan | Maggie |
| Myles McGee | Monty |
| Ashton Miramontes | Lucas |
| Andreon Watson | Peter |
| Frank Mosley | Husband |
| John Walpole | Bank Investigator |
| Kerry McCormick | OBGYN |
| Marco Antonio Rodriguez | MRI Tech |
| Brina Palencia | Woman in Club |
| Jack Watkins | The Sampled |
| Karen Jagger | The Sampled |
| Joy Leigh | Dream Member (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Shane Carruth | Cinematography, Editor, Music, Camera Operator, Writer, Director |
| Casey Gooden | Camera Operator |
| Pete Horner | Sound Mixer, Sound Editor |
| David Lowery | Editor |
| Justin Scheidt | Assistant Editor |
| Kina Bale | Casting |
| Cameron Bruce Nelson | Assistant Editor |
| Dat Phan | Hairstylist |
| Annell Brodeur | Costume Design |
| Hunter Holder | Camera Operator |
| Tom Walker | Production Design |
| Johnny Marshall | Sound Designer |
| Toby Halbrooks | Colorist |
| Heather Henry | Makeup Artist |
| Bongani Mlambo | Camera Operator |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Ben LeClair | Producer |
| Shane Carruth | Producer |
| Casey Gooden | Producer |
| Scott Douglass | Executive Producer |
| Meredith Burke | Co-Producer |
| Toby Halbrooks | Co-Producer |
| Brent Goodman | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Awards | Best Actress | Amy Seimetz | Nominated |
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 14 | 22 | 10 |
| 2024 | 5 | 16 | 26 | 10 |
| 2024 | 6 | 18 | 31 | 9 |
| 2024 | 7 | 13 | 22 | 6 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 23 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 14 | 22 | 7 |
| 2024 | 10 | 12 | 33 | 7 |
| 2024 | 11 | 12 | 26 | 6 |
| 2024 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 11 | 23 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Trending Position
After almost 9 years since Primer, Shane Carruth returned with his next film, Upstream Color. Once again, Shane played multiple roles in the creation of this film – producer (one of), director, writer, actor (one of), music director, cinematographer and editor (one of). The film was made with a tiny ... budget of $50,000, wow, talk about being efficient. The story is not a convoluted one like Primer, which was based on time travel. That said, it’s not very straightforward either. It does talk about some unreal patterns and could get hard to understand at times. Do give it a watch if you haven’t already.